Hearing strange noises when your air conditioner is running? There's a strong probability there’s something wrong with your AC. If you ignore it, it could lead to major—and expensive—troubles down the road. We're going to help you find out what’s going on with your air conditioner and what you can do to change it.
8 Common Air Conditioning Noises
- Gurgling - Gurgling generally indicates an issue with your refrigerant line. If you can't determine where the noise is originating from, that's alright. A technician can help determine where this noise is occurring. You can read more information on our gurgling noises guide.
- Crackling - Crackling could come from debris in the unit or aging ductwork. Debris in the outdoor unit will cause a noise outside your house. Aging ductwork can produce noise inside your house. Browse our crackling noise guide for more information.
- Hissing - Hissing can be created by a faulty refrigerant line, an internal valve leak or the compressor. Look through our hissing noise guide for more info.
- Buzzing - Buzzing is no doubt an electrical issue. Check out our buzzing noise guide for more information.
- Clicking - Clicking can mean you have a loose part or that the fan is misaligned. You can find more information in our clicking noise guide.
- Pulsating - Pulsating can come from a loose part. Check out our pulsating noise guide for more information.
- Loud Noise - A loud noise from your external unit can signal an issue with your compressor, damper, fan or air handler. Read our loud noise guide for supplementary information.
- Humming - Humming can arise from fan motor issues or a broken relay switch. Head to our humming noise guide for more information.
You can find more information about frequent air conditioning issues on energy.gov
Should I keep using my AC when it’s making a noise?
There are limited cases where you can continue to run your AC, but you do so at your own risk. It's almost impossible to answer this question without examining your system.
Most of the time, we recommend turning the unit off and contacting a professional.
When should I do something about the noise?
We recommend calling a professional as soon as you think there's an issue with your air conditioner. While AC repairs can be stressful and an unexpected spend, it's smart to get problems corrected right away. Contacting a professional could help minimize future expenses and keep your system running longer.
Not sure if your air conditioner is making any of these noises? Please fill out the form below for a free, in-home consultation.